I. Vision and Personal Philosophy of Education:
I believe that every child is a unique individual, capable of learning, and capable of living a successful life. The idea of a “successful life” will be different for every child, because I believe that no two people are exactly the same. As an educator, it is my responsibility to provide my students with the tools and skills needed to be successful in life. I believe, in order to be successful in the real world, one needs to be able to listen, think, defend, problem solve, take risks, share ideas, and work collaboratively with others. Being an educator is so much more than teaching my students the curriculum, but providing exposure to the tools and skills that they will need to build a foundation for their own “successful life.” I believe a good educator is someone who is a role model to their students, prepares their students for the diversity within this world, and to provide their students with tools needed to problem solve.

A good role model is someone who you can trust and look up to and know that they are going to guide you into the right direction. It is very important that as an educator your students know that they can trust you. Too often we as educators are working with students who are facing physical, emotional, and intellectual changes, and it is important that we provide our students with an environment that is acceptable of these challenges. Along with trust, it is important that we guide our students into a direction that will provide them with the opportunities to be successful. As a teacher our students are constantly watching what we do both in and out of school and it is important that we set a good example for our students to follow.


Diversity is all around us. I believe that it is very important that our students know how to work appropriately with diverse people. Being able to work collaboratively with others is a skill that I can prepare my students for in my classroom. I believe that working collaboratively with others will increase student engagement, as well as student success. Not only does working collaboratively increase student engagement, but it teaches students communication and listening skills that they will need to be successful in life.


In order to provide a classroom setting where problem solving and taking risks is encouraged my goal as an educator is to provide an environment that is comfortable and encouraging for all students. A level of trust needs to be built between both the students and the teacher. It is important that my students know that they have my support when completing any task they are faced with, and that mistakes are welcome. I want to provide my students with the skills they will need in order to problem solve through self discovery rather than always being given the answers. I also want my students to know that they are entitled to their own opinion, and that they have the right to defend their opinions. All learners should be encouraged to share their ideas and have confidence in everything that they do.


Finally, I believe that if I provide my students with all the skills needed to problem solve, work appropriately with a diverse group of people, and act as a good role model for my students, they will enter the world ready to live their “successful life” to the best of their ability.

Links:Technology Initiative Table of Contents

Next Page (Needs Assessment & Identification of Focus Area)